The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved working apparatus or arrangement, in particular, but not exclusively, serving as a cleaning apparatus and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of a cleaning apparatus useful in conjunction with a textile machine.
Generally speaking, the working apparatus of the present invention comprises a servicing or working unit which travels to-and-fro upon a track or rails. The servicing unit is driven and caused to move by means of a stationary drive motor along the rails or track and is equipped with a control or control device for detecting obstacles located along the path of travel of the working apparatus. This working apparatus is especially useful for cleaning sundry types of textile machines arranged in the direction of the path of travel of the servicing or working unit.
As far as the servicing or working unit is concerned, as alluded to above, such could, for example, be a cleaning apparatus which is displaceable or reciprocatable on overhead rails or on an overhead track positioned in the longitudinal direction of one or more textile machines arranged in succession in order to periodically rid them of dust and fly or other contaminants by means of compressed or blow air and suction air. This blow air and suction air is generated by a ventilator positioned at the travelling or mobile servicing or working unit and is delivered to the cleaning zones by means of air guide elements or ducts.
It is known to provide such reciprocating or travelling servicing units with a control device for detecting obstacles which would hinder the proper operation of the servicing unit. Optical or electro-mechanical detectors may be employed which, upon detection of obstacles, stop or, as the case may be, reverse the direction of movement of the servicing unit.
These known servicing units all have in common the feature that the power or current supply from the power mains for operating the ventilator as well as also for accomplishing the travelling movement of the servicing unit is effected through current rails or trailing or drag cables. Disadvantages arising from this kind of power supply reside, on the one hand, in the undesired sparking phenomenon and in the frequently occurring contact interruptions arising between the current rail and the collector or contact shoe or the like and, on the other hand, in the cumbersome guiding of the trailing or drag cables. The current contact shoes or collectors are subject to substantial wear and often have to be replaced. Also, the control of the movement of the servicing unit is laborious and complicated.
A drive apparatus is already known which avoids certain of these drawbacks by employing an endless transmission member operatively coupled with a stationary drive motor to effect movement of a carriage having a ventilator impeller. Significant in this regard is Swiss Patent No. 413,680.